When mobile users search for mobile applications in an application store (e.g., ANDROID APPS on GOOGLE PLAY), they may discover many variations of the same application. For example, a user searching for a security application may be confused to find multiple applications from the same software security vendor, each with a different (or slightly different) name. Vendors may sell such products under different names depending on whether, for example, the application is meant for an enterprise environment or a consumer environment. Selling multiple versions of the same product or application may create brand confusion for customers and unnecessary overhead for vendors and developers. Developers may attempt to address this problem by creating a single application that can be altered, after purchase, for use with the various environments within which the application may be used. However, on certain mobile platforms, such as ANDROID, once an application is installed, developers may be unable to change the application name and icon unless they uninstall the application, alter the application manifest file to point to a different name and icon, recompile the application code into an Application Package File (APK), and reinstall the application.
What is needed, therefore, is a more efficient and effective mechanism for tailoring application for particular computing environments.